Terminal contact clip



April 24, 1928. 1,666,978

J. sAcHs TERMINAL CONTACT CLIP Original Filed Dec. 12. 1921 Af TQP/Viy Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

JOSEPH SACHS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TERMINAL CONTACT CLIP.

Application filed December 12, 1921, Serial No. 521,776. Renewed August 14, 1926.

This invention relates to contacts or clips designed to receive the blades of electric switches or fuse cut-outs.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple contact or clip which will have the approved area of contact with, and requisite binding force against, the switch or fuse blade which is engaged therewith, and et which will permit the engagement and isengagement of the blade to be made very easily and particularly will insure the disenagement of the blade from the clip without iability of burning or pitting the surfaces or tips of the clip, or drawing a long are, the construction being more especially intended for switches or fuses of large capacity and which must be opened uickly.

This object is attains by providing the clip proper, of normal carrying capacity and common construction, at or near its outer end, with conducting contacts connected therewith which are rotarily or otherwise movably mounted so that the blade when entering the clip will first make engagement with and on leavin the clip will last break engagement from t ese movable contacts which turn under the friction of contact of the blade with them and chan e their point of contact each time the blade is entered and disengaged.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a clip that embodies the invention, with a switch bla'de shown in full lines as engaged therewith and shown in dotted outline as being disconnected therefrom. Fig. 2 shows an edge view of the clip.

Fi 3 shows a plan of the clip.

Figs. 4 to 6 are views similar to Fig. 2 and showing respectively alternate embodiments of the invention. Fig. 7 shows a plan of the clip illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a view also similar to Fi 2 and showing still an other alternate em odiment of the invention.

In accordance with the invention I provide a rupture contact having at least one contact finger which is adapted to receive or engage a switching member so as to make e lectrical contact therewith. The switching member is preferably of blade form and it may be a part of a knife blade switch or it ma be a part of a fuse cut-out.

in the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the contact or clip is shown as having two opposed resilient fingers 2, 2, these being formed in the usual way be bending an integralstrip of metal. In Fig. 1 I have shown a switching member adapted to contact with the saidfingers 2, 2, this member being shown as the blade 3 of a knife blade switch. 1

In accordance with the invention I provide in association with at least one of the contact fingers 2 a rotatable conducting rupture element 4 electrically connected with the finger and positioned beyond the end of the normal contact surface thereof. The said rupture element is held a ainst bodily movement in directions paral el with the plane of the normal contact surface of the corresponding finger. The location of the rotatable rupture element 4 is such as to cause it to contact with the normal contact surface of the switching member 3 during its circuit opening movement thus providing a shifting rupture surface located beyond the end of the normal contact ortion of the corresponding finger 2 whic is thereb protected from arcing manifestation. referably and as shown, there are two rupture elements 4, 4 respectively-connected with the corresponding contact fingers 2, 2.

As concerns the details of construction and mounting of the said rupture elements 4, 4 1

there may be wide variation. Preferably, however, the said elements are in the form of rollers provided with trunnions 5, 5 of lesser diameter than that of the rollers. Each of the fingers 2, 2 is provided with integral extensions in the form of loops 6 and in these loops the said trunnions 5, 5 of the rollers are loosely fitted so that the adjacent surfaces of the rollers Will extend into the ath of the switch or fuse blade 3. These re lers are so located that they will be engaged by and turned around by the blade 3 before it enters between the spring fingers and also will be engaged and turned by the blade just after it has been withdrawn from between the fingers. As a result of this not only is the friction resulting from the entering of the blade between, or the removal of the blade from between stiff large spring fingers, reduced to a minimum, but any are that would result from the disconnection of a blade from the clip will form between the blade and the rollers rather than between the blade and the ends of the fingers, eliminating any possibility of burning or pittin the fingers. Furthermore the turning of the rollers not only insures clean surfaces being presented to the sides of the blade but if the rollersturn ra idly as the blade is snapped open they ten owing to the mass of metal 1 the blade and clip which reduces the resist-' in the rollers and to theextended surfaces they present as they turn, to exert a coo-ling effect on and also to distribute and open or widen any arc that is formed and cause it to be broken more quickly than if the arc was drawn between the blade and the ruptureends of the fingers.

The rotatable rupture element or. rollers need not necessarily be mounted directly upon the contactfingers 2, 2 as supplemental means may be provided for supportlng them. The rollers may be mounted in loops 7 at the ends of a supplemental strip 8 as illustrated in Fig. 4 which strip may be passed around under the base of the c ip so as to make contacttherewith. If desired the rollers may be mounted on supplemental strips 9, 9 that can be attached to the sides of the spring fingers as shown in Fig. 5. Instead of having'thc moving contacts in the form of rdllers they may consist of balls 10 held in cups 11 arranged adjacent to the ends of the clip fingers'as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The cups 11 are shown as being formed at the ends of: a supplemental strip 12 which extend under the base of the clip so as to make contact therewith. llf desired the rotating contact may be mounted adjacent to the rupure-cnds of the fingers on one side only, as shown in Fig; 8.

This construction due to the shifting rupture-en'd means insures a long life for the clip as well as more cliicient contact between ance and eliminates the heatin which frequently occurs with large switc es that have been in use for a long time.

The invention claimed is:

l. A rupture contact for an. electric switch adapted to receive and contact with a switching member, the said contact comprising in combination a contact finger adapted to make electrical contact with said member, and a rotatable conducting ru ture element electrically connected with th finger and held against bodily movement in directions parallel with the plane of the normal contact surface thereof, the said rupture element being positioned beyond the end of the said normal contact surface of the finger so as to contact with the normal contact .surface of the switching member during its circuit opening movement, thus providing a shifting rupture surface located beyond the end of the normal contact portion of the finger which is thereby protected from aremg manifestation.

2. A rupture clip for an electric switch adapted to receive and contact with a switching member, the said clip com rising 111 combination two opposed yieldab e contact fingers adapted to receive and make electrical contact with said member, and two rotatable conducting rupture elements electrically connected with the respective fingers ture surfaces located beyond the ends of the normal contact portions of the fingers which are thus protected from arcing manifesation.

3. A rupture contactfor an electric switch adapted to receive and contact with a switching member, the said contact comprising in combination a contact finger adapted to make electrical contact with said member and having an integral extension beyond the end of the normal contact surface thereof, and a rotatable conducting rupture element carried by the said integral extension of the finger and positioned beyond the end of the normal contact surface of the finger so as to contact with the normal contact surface of the switching member during its circuit opening movement, thus providing a shifting rupture surface located beyond the end of the normal contact portion of the finger which is thereby protected from arcing manifestation.

4. A rupture clip for an electric switch adapted to receive and contact with a switching member, the said clip comprising in combination two opposed yieldable contact fingers adapted to receive and make electrical contact with said member and each having two spaced integral looped extensions beyond the end of the normal contact surface thereof, and two rotatable conductin rupture elements respectively mounted in tlie looped extensions of the respective fingers and positioned beyond the ends of the normal contact surfaces of the fingers so as to contact with the opposed normal contact surfaces of the switching member during its circuit opening movement, thus providing opposed shifting rupture surfaces located beyond the end of the normal contact portion of the finger which is thus protected from arcing manifestation.

5. A rupture clip for an electric switch adapted to receive and contact with a switching member, the said clip comprising in combination an integral strip of metal bent to form two opposed yieldable contact fingers adapted to receive and make electrical contact with said member and each having two integral looped extensions beyond the end of the normal contact surface thereof, and two rotatable cylindrical conducting rupture elements each having two trunnions of lesser diameter than that of the main body portion thereof, the said trunnions of the respective elements being mounted in the looped extensions of the respective fingers and the said elements being posltloned beyond the ends of the normal contact surfaces of the fingers so as to Contact with the opposed normal contact surfaces of the switching member during its circuit opening movement, thus providing opposed shifting rupture surfaces located beyond the end of the normal contact portion of the finger which is thus protected from arcing manifestation.

6. A rupture contact for an electric switch adapted to receive and contact with a switching member, the said contact comprising in combination a resilient contact finger adapted to make electrical contact with the said member, a rupture element supporting means carried by the resilient finger in fixed relation thereto, and a rotatable conducting rupture element supported by the said means and positioned beyond the end of the normal contact surface of the finger so as to resiliently contact with the normal contact surface of the switching member during its circuit opening movement, thus providing a shifting rupture surface located beyond the end of the normal contact portion of the finger which is thereby protected from arcing manifestation.

JOSEPH SACHS. 

